Petra Collins “Fangirl” Exhibition in Seoul: A 4-Floor Immersive Dive Into Girlhood
If you’re searching for one of the most talked-about art exhibitions in Seoul right now, the Petra Collins exhibition should be at the top of your list.
Known for her dreamy, soft-focus aesthetic and emotionally charged exploration of girlhood, Petra Collins brings her world to Seoul in a four-floor immersive exhibition divided into distinct sections: Gift Shop & Entrance, Becoming Petra, The Gaze, and New Nostalgia.
This isn’t just a photography show. It’s a psychological walk through femininity, memory, obsession, and identity.
Whether you’re an art lover, a fan of contemporary photography, or simply looking for unique things to do in Seoul, this exhibition delivers something deeper than just Instagram photos.
Who Is Petra Collins?
Petra Collins is a Canadian photographer and artist known for her cinematic portrayal of femininity and youth culture. Her work often explores:
Girlhood and adolescence
Intimacy and vulnerability
Obsession and idolization
The emotional intensity of being young
Her signature style blends softness with discomfort. Images feel romantic and nostalgic, but there’s always something slightly unsettling beneath the surface.
This exhibition in Seoul brings together key themes from her series Fangirl and I’m Sorry, transforming them into immersive installations across four floors.
1F: Entrance, Ticket Box & Gift Shop – Entering the World of Petra Collins
Before you even step into the exhibition floors, the tone is set on the first level.
The entrance feels curated, intentional. There’s a clear separation between the outside world and Petra Collins’ universe. Almost everything is coated in pink, the first colour most people think of when they think of girlhood.
The gift shop isn’t an afterthought. It’s part of the experience.
This space introduces one of the exhibition’s core themes: identity and projection. You’re not just buying merchandise. You’re buying into a feeling.
2F: Becoming Petra – Constructing Identity
The second floor, titled “Becoming Petra,” shifts the focus inward.
This section explores self-construction, early influences, and the formation of artistic identity.
Here, you begin to understand Petra Collins not just as a photographer, but as a girl who became an artist.
The works on this floor feel more personal. Softer. Reflective.
There’s a vulnerability in how femininity is portrayed — not polished, not commercialized, but raw and observational. You can sense themes of adolescence, insecurity, and self-awareness layered beneath the soft lighting.
The aesthetic remains dreamy, but it’s not passive. It’s deliberate.
This section feels like the quiet before intensity. A foundation. A backstory.
If the exhibition is a psychological journey, this is the origin chapter.
3F: The Gaze – Power, Observation, and Being Seen
The third floor, “The Gaze,” is arguably one of the strongest sections of the exhibition.
This is where the tension becomes undeniable.
Portraits line the walls — faces illuminated in dramatic, saturated tones. Red, blue, green. Each subject appears introspective, distant, almost emotionally suspended.
The neon “24HR PSYCHO” sign dominates the space, bathing the room in electric blue light.
It feels darker. More confrontational.
The concept of “the gaze” in art often refers to who holds power in looking — who is watching, and who is being watched. Petra Collins plays with this idea in a deeply feminine context.
Her subjects are not passive. They look back.
In one of the most striking photographs — “Don’t help me” — a young woman stands in a bathroom mirror wearing a white bodysuit and pink tights. The lighting is harsh. The setting intimate. Bathrooms are private and vulnerable spaces, yet the image doesn’t feel helpless.
The title complicates everything. “Don’t help me” feels defensive, self-protective, independent.
There’s softness in the pose, but strength in the refusal.
This floor captures the emotional complexity of girlhood — wanting to be seen but not rescued. Being vulnerable but not weak. The atmosphere is cinematic, slightly uncomfortable, and emotionally layered.
4F: New Nostalgia – Memory, Apology, and Preserved Girlhood
The fourth floor, “New Nostalgia,” feels like walking into a preserved childhood memory.
The room transforms into a staged bedroom-like installation: pink wallpaper, framed photos, mirrors, shelves, soft lighting.
Mannequins dressed in oversized cardigans and bows sit in carefully curated spaces. One wears a shirt that reads “Sorry!!!”
This section draws from Petra Collins’ “I’m Sorry” series.
It explores apology culture — particularly how girls are conditioned to shrink themselves, to say sorry even when they don’t need to.
Stuffed animals are displayed in clear cases like museum artifacts.
A white bunny with a heart. A decorated teddy bear. Childhood innocence preserved behind glass.
It’s cute, but it’s also unsettling. The preservation feels almost clinical, like memory frozen in time.
This is where nostalgia becomes complex. It’s not just longing for childhood. It’s examining it. Questioning it. Holding it under a lens.
The title “New Nostalgia” makes sense here — this isn’t sentimental nostalgia. It’s reconstructed, self-aware, and slightly melancholic.
It forces you to think about how we remember girlhood — and what we choose to romanticize.
Why You Should Visit the Petra Collins Exhibition in Seoul
If you’re looking for:
Contemporary art exhibitions in Seoul
Feminine-focused photography exhibits
Instagrammable art spaces with depth
Unique cultural experiences in Seoul
Things to do in Seoul beyond shopping and cafes
This exhibition is worth your time.
It’s visually striking, yes.
But more importantly, it’s emotionally layered.
You don’t leave thinking “that was cute.”
You leave thinking about vulnerability. About identity. About the way girlhood is romanticized and controlled at the same time.
Final Thoughts
Being inside Petra Collins’ exhibition feels like stepping into a girl’s diary you were never meant to read.
It’s soft. Romantic. A little uncomfortable.
And that’s exactly the point.
From Becoming Petra to The Gaze and finally New Nostalgia, the exhibition carefully walks you through identity, observation, and memory.
